Studio lights & speedlights

[joel222]

I've been using speedlights in a studio style environment but want to invest in a big softbox, so was thinking about buying something like a lencarta 200w light. Could I use the studio light as a main and the speedlights for fill/background etc?

 

[Garry Edwards]

Yes

 

[Phil V]

Short but sweet from Garry

But I'd add, the biggest advantage you'll get from the studio head is recycle times. And the speed lights will still hold you back in that respect. Better if your speed lights will take external battery packs though and they're used close for pools of light.

 

[HoppyUK]

I use speedlites and studio lights together quite often. It's a good combo, and speedlites can be handy for hiding away behind the subject, and the zoom head useful for adjusting the coverage on backgrounds.

Use them where you don't need much power and if you can turn them down to 1/4 or less that speeds up the recycle time a great deal and they won't fry if you hammer them.

Just need to sync everything up with the same triggers, though you might get lucky and the studio head's built-in slave will pick up on the speedlites and fire off that. Depends on the set up, and whether the slave gets a decent look at the speedlite flash.

 

[joel222]

Thanks for the replies. Never thought of triggers. I use yongnuo wireless for the speedlights, would one of those trigger the studio light?

 

[Garry Edwards]

Thanks for the replies. Never thought of triggers. I use yongnuo wireless for the speedlights, would one of those trigger the studio light?

Yes, and that's also the best way of doing it

 

[joel222]

So garry, I've been looking on the lencarta site and I've decided on the smartflash, and possibly a 120cm profold octobox. The stands I have at the minute are ebay sh#te, so would need a stand too. Are all of the stands from lencarta sturdy enough to hold the light and a 120cm box, and is that all that I'd need to buy, the light,octobox and stand or is there other attachments or anything else that I'd need?

 

[Garry Edwards]

Any of the Lencarta stands will be fine for this except the portable one, that's designed primarily for speedlights.

If you haven't already got one, I advise you to get a radio trigger set too

 

[TG.]

I was thinking about doing this myself, and using my SB900 as a hair-light, so what i am thinking is use the the mini TT1 and the flex TT5, so i would attach the SB900 to the flex TT5, and then use the mini TT1 to trigger the Lencarta lights and the SB900, would this work ok ?

I use speedlites and studio lights together quite often. It's a good combo, and speedlites can be handy for hiding away behind the subject, and the zoom head useful for adjusting the coverage on backgrounds.

Use them where you don't need much power and if you can turn them down to 1/4 or less that speeds up the recycle time a great deal and they won't fry if you hammer them.

Just need to sync everything up with the same triggers, though you might get lucky and the studio head's built-in slave will pick up on the speedlites and fire off that. Depends on the set up, and whether the slave gets a decent look at the speedlite flash.

 

[HoppyUK]

I was thinking about doing this myself, and using my SB900 as a hair-light, so what i am thinking is use the the mini TT1 and the flex TT5, so i would attach the SB900 to the flex TT5, and then use the mini TT1 to trigger the Lencarta lights and the SB900, would this work ok ?

Not sure I'm understanding this. How will the Mini (transmitter) trigger the Lencartas if there's no receiver connected to them?

Everything must be in manual - Mini on camera, then Flex to main flash. SB900 has an optical slave function doesn't it? In which case, that will fire off the main light, as will any other units with optical slave function.

 

[itsdavedotnet]

I was thinking about doing this myself, and using my SB900 as a hair-light, so what i am thinking is use the the mini TT1 and the flex TT5, so i would attach the SB900 to the flex TT5, and then use the mini TT1 to trigger the Lencarta lights and the SB900, would this work ok ?

in manual mode on the flash, yes, because the sb900 will fire one pulse, which the studio head's optical slave will pick up.

In TTL mode, no, because the preflashes will trigger the studio head. If you want this, then get another pocketwizard and connect it to the studio head

 

[Phil V]

Not sure I'm understanding this. How will the Mini (transmitter) trigger the Lencartas if there's no receiver connected to them?

Everything must be in manual - Mini on camera, then Flex to main flash. SB900 has an optical slave function doesn't it? In which case, that will fire off the main light, as will any other units with optical slave function.

As a Canon shooter, when mixing a speedlight with studio flash, I have to put the TT5 on the Canon flash, and let the optical slave pick it up. Which it does even when I'm using the speedlight with a snoot (hairlight or background spot)

 

[TG.]

Everything must be in manual - Mini on camera, then Flex to main flash. SB900 has an optical slave function doesn't it? In which case, that will fire off the main light, as will any other units with optical slave function.

in manual mode on the flash, yes, because the sb900 will fire one pulse, which the studio head's optical slave will pick up.

Yes sorry this is what i meant, just my bad explanation :bonk: